How Sandusky Bay Pancake House Became a Local Breakfast Favorite

When the restaurant closings of the pandemic arrived in 2020, Sandusky business owner Steven Schuster saw the disruption as an opportunity to take his Perkins Pancake House location independent. He and his father had operated the franchise as part of the chain founded in Cincinnati since 1966, but he wanted to create something new. 

In less than a week, he had the blessing of his father and his wife and began working with his family to perfect their pancake recipe, brainstorm names for the new restaurant and discuss logo ideas. Today, Sandusky Bay Pancake House thrives as a favorite among locals and tourists alike. They gobble up the restaurant’s pancakes made with buttermilk from Toft’s Dairy in Sandusky, thick-cut bacon from JH Routh Packing in Castalia and baked-from-scratch cinnamon rolls and biscuits. “Eat, Drink, Think … Local!” serves not only as the Sandusky Bay Pancake House mantra but also the cornerstone of everything it does.  

“That’s not just on the back of our shirts,” Schuster says. “We believe it. We knew there would be support for local businesses coming out of [the pandemic]. ... We also knew from a tourist standpoint, you don’t want to go to a chain restaurant. You really want to experience the local fare.”

Sandusky Bay Pancake House lists the more than 20 local vendors it works with, from nearby orchards that provide fruit to the Sandusky-made Peerless Ovens used for baking. The restaurant serves breakfast and lunch, with pancakes available as a main dish or as a side. 

Bacon and eggs are the bestselling dish on the menu, followed by Cinnamon Swirl pancakes. Diners also love the Blueberry Muffin Top ’Cakes, which are made with the best part of the muffin crumbled into the batter, and the Chocolate Chipper pancakes, loaded with chocolate chunks and topped with whipped cream and powdered sugar. For a sweet-and-savory combo, go with the Pigs in a Blanket pancakes with sausage from Polansky’s Meat Market in Amherst.

“You can’t re-create at home what we do when we make it from scratch,” Schuster says. “The ingredients we use make our pancakes special.” 4710 Milan Rd., Sandusky 44870, 419/625-2614, sanduskybaypancakehouse.com

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